About the Role
Are you an experienced advocacy, government relations or policy professional looking for a flexible role where you can help drive meaningful systems change?
Taimahi Trust is looking for a Strategic Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations Lead to join us for a seven-month maternity-cover period and maintain momentum across our established systems-change programme.
Taimahi works to create meaningful opportunities for young adults with intellectual and learning disabilities to thrive in their communities. Alongside our Training Academy and Social Enterprise, we are working to influence the wider systems, policies, funding models and expectations that shape opportunities for young people as they transition into adulthood.
Working closely with our CEO and Senior Leadership Team, you will lead and coordinate key advocacy, government relations and systems-change priorities — maintaining important relationships, progressing strategic projects and ensuring our work continues to move forward throughout the cover period.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone who can get across complex issues quickly, manage multiple workstreams, write exceptionally well and confidently navigate government and stakeholder environments.
What You’ll Be Doing
You’ll help drive delivery of Taimahi’s Systems Change Strategy across several interconnected areas:
Government Relations & Advocacy: Maintain and strengthen relationships with Ministers, MPs, officials, government agencies and other decision-makers, preparing briefings, submissions, talking points and strategic advice to support engagement.
Systems Change Delivery: Lead the day-to-day implementation of agreed advocacy and systems-change priorities, keeping multiple projects, stakeholders and deadlines moving.
Policy & Political Intelligence: Monitor relevant policy, legislative, funding and political developments and translate these into clear advice on risks, opportunities and potential areas for influence.
Strategic Projects: Coordinate priority work including our public awareness and mindset-change campaign, commissioned Return on Investment research, and work exploring sustainable funding, social investment and venture philanthropy.
Education & Employment Pathways: Support the development of relationships with education, training, employment and other partners to expand opportunities for young people with intellectual and learning disabilities.
Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain productive relationships across government, local and regional organisations, disability sector partners, business, civil society, education and philanthropy.
Monitoring & Reporting: Track progress against systems-change objectives, capture evidence and learning, and prepare clear updates for our CEO, Board, Senior Leadership Team and funders.
You’ll be stepping into established workstreams and relationships, so the ability to quickly understand context, exercise judgement and confidently progress work with limited supervision will be important.
What We Value in This Role
We’re looking for someone who can operate comfortably at both strategic and delivery level — able to see the bigger systems-change picture while also making sure the practical work gets done.
This role is focused on systems-level advocacy and strategic engagement. It does not manage marketing or PR or individual advocacy cases.
What You Bring
Government Relations & Advocacy Experience: Strong experience in government relations, advocacy, public affairs, policy or a related field, with confidence navigating political and government environments.
Excellent Project Management: A track record of managing multiple projects, stakeholders, deadlines and deliverables simultaneously.
Outstanding Writing Skills: The ability to rapidly synthesise complex information and turn it into clear, persuasive briefings, submissions, reports, proposals and stakeholder communications.
Strategic Judgement & Initiative: You quickly understand what matters, identify opportunities and risks, and can confidently progress work without needing close supervision.
Strong Relationship Management: Experience developing trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across government, business, community organisations and/or civil society.
Political & Policy Acumen: A strong understanding of government and policy decision-making processes and how organisations can effectively engage with them.
Adaptability: You’ll be comfortable stepping into established work, rapidly understanding existing relationships and priorities, and maintaining momentum during a fixed-term cover period.
Even Better If You Bring
Experience or knowledge in one or more of the following would be valuable:
New Zealand disability, education, employment or social development policy
Commissioned research, evaluation, Return on Investment or Social Return on Investment
Public awareness or social-change campaigns
Monitoring and evaluation of advocacy or systems-change programmes
Social investment, impact investment, venture philanthropy or social enterprise
Tertiary or vocational education and employment pathways
Rights-based approaches to disability, including Enabling Good Lives and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
A relevant tertiary qualification in public policy, law, political science, communications, social sciences or a related discipline would be useful, although equivalent senior professional experience is equally valued.
Why Taimahi Trust?
Meaningful Systems Impact: Help influence the policies, systems and expectations that determine what opportunities are available to young people with intellectual and learning disabilities.
Strategic, Varied Work: Work across government relations, policy, advocacy, research, campaigns, education, employment and sustainable funding.
Established Foundations: Step into a clear Systems Change Strategy with strong existing relationships, active projects and senior leadership support.
Flexible Working: A part-time role of 16–20 hours per week, with flexibility for remote working alongside engagement with our Whangārei-based team and stakeholders.
A Different Kind of Organisation: Join a practical, ambitious organisation combining training, employment, social enterprise and systems change to demonstrate what is possible when people receive the right opportunities and support.
How to Apply
Interested in using your policy, advocacy and relationship-management experience to help create lasting change?
Click Apply to submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience in government relations, advocacy, policy and project delivery, and why you are interested in joining Taimahi Trust for this maternity-cover period.
Job Description available on request.